Republican hopeful kicks off campaign

Saturday

Mar 9, 2013 at 6:00 AMMar 9, 2013 at 1:01 PM

Bronislaus B. Kush TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

State Rep. Daniel B. Winslow, a former presiding justice of the state district court in Wrentham and chief counsel to former Gov. Mitt Romney, has launched his campaign to become the Republican nominee in the special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant when John F. Kerry was appointed U.S. secretary of state.

Mr. Winslow, a 54-year-old lawyer serving his first term as the state representative from the 9th Norfolk District, kicked off his campaign Thursday night with a speech at his campaign headquarters, in his hometown of Norfolk.

He was scheduled to meet Friday with local supporters at two Worcester diners but couldn’t complete the trip because of the snowstorm.

In a telephone interview with the Telegram & Gazette, Mr. Winslow, who studied political science at Tufts University and earned his law degree from Boston College School of Law, described himself as a fiscal conservative who is moderate on social issues.

He said the Congress needs “common-sense” legislators who can break through the partisan gridlock that has bogged down the legislative process.

“I want to be principled, but, if I become elected, America will always come first,” he said.

He said that many Capitol Hill legislators are more interested in “finger pointing” than solving the nation’s fiscal woes, including finding ways to control rising spending levels and reducing the nation’s mounting debt. He said he could make a difference by joining 12 similarly-minded senators from either party who are committed to compromising to pass needed legislation.

“You don’t need 100 senators to pass a bill. Ten to 12 senators who are interested in what’s best for the country could get things done, and that’s why this race in Massachusetts has national implications,” Mr. Winslow said.

He said it’s time for the Republican Party to go back to its Lincolnian roots and to work on issues affecting women and “new Americans.”

“GOP shouldn’t stand for grand old party. It should stand for growth, opportunity and prosperity,” he said.

Mr. Winslow said he’d like to see the budget cut by the amount that would result from sequester.

But he stressed that he is against the automatic, across-the-board parings that would occur by sequester and added that Congress should specifically pinpoint the areas or programs that should be trimmed to minimize the impact to Americans.

In his speech, Mr. Winslow noted that he liked “Fluff” in his sandwich but not in the budget.

He said he’d like to see cuts in entitlement programs, but added that he wouldn’t endanger the ability of senior citizens to live off their Social Security.

Mr. Winslow said a reform of Social Security might include taking a look at scaling back how much generally well-off individuals can pull from the system.

“Maybe Social Security should be based on eligibility and need,” he explained. “Does a rich person really need a Social Security check? We have to make sure that Social Security provides a safety net today while providing the future needs of 20-year-olds who are paying into the system.”

Mr. Winslow also believes the best way to raise revenue and to generate jobs is to cut business regulations.

He also believes U.S. companies need a “level playing field” to compete with their counterparts overseas.

Mr. Winslow noted that an overhaul in the national tax code is long overdue and that Congress has to close tax loopholes that benefit special interests.

He said that he is the only candidate with connections outside the Route 128 belt, noting that his father, Joel, lives in Oxford and that his family is originally from Northampton.